Mud...With Sugar on Top!

Today there was a lot more of this:
But, then there was....wait for it....THIS:

And THIS:

And this:

Need I say more?

Time Well Wasted

Last night I enjoyed an evening of the world's best pizza (Village Pizza in Roslyn) with the world's best friends--the Ringers and the Polaks!  We dined on THREE large pizzas, and I had the (slightly embarassing) pleasure of returning  to waitress the "to go" box that she had sat on the counter behind us (because the table did not afford room) upon delivering the piping hot, cheesy delights to our table.

With full stomachs, we returned to the ranch, started a fire, and then just snuggled up in chairs and blankets and relaxed, and visited, and laughed, and roasted marshmallows....

And took in the joy that gooey, partially cooked-partially burnt marshmallow, sans chocolate and graham crackers, can provide...at least to a six year old boy.

And oh, there were CUPCAKES... from Trophy cupcakes, courtesy of George and Jalleen!  Amazing the delight such treats can bring to a thirty-six year old girl.  (Imagine that...no photos of the cupcakes!)

And, broken dishes there were...

"g

..the memory and laughter of which far exceeded any value that one could have attached to the "good china" that I have been attempting to use for ordinary occasions ever since reading this inspirational poem.  (Erma Bombeck has a similar and equally good ditty on living life over).

There were no board games, no fancy horsd'oeuvres or wines, no refined music playing in the background, no important conversations or discussions about the good we want and need to do, the chaos and suffering in the world, the challenges of our jobs and the day-to-day.  No talk of "to do" lists or of regrets.  Just a few moments of enjoying our health, our time, and the power of the smallest acts of caring.

In short, it was one of those simple evenings of "not doing much" that nonetheless felt extraordinarily like something.

Mud!

March 21st.  It's raining outside.  Yesterday was the official "first day of spring."

Spring rain and melting snow mean...mud, mess, and one wet, smelly Atticus tracking it into the house...

Ahem...that's why they call it a mud room!?

Yet, the multi-day floor sweeps and moppings, and the more frequent than usual washing of the bedcovers are worth it.  Atticus ably seeks out the largest, muddiest puddles, and flies through them en route to rousing the Canadian geese, mallards, and many other water foul taking advantage of the transient oasises that abound this time of year...little cold springs popping up everywhere as if just for their enjoyment....well, and that of Atticus!  It makes me smile and cheer even on the gloomiest of days, or in the gloomiest of spirits. 

And, while the muck, mess, and hikes in the wellingtons are not something I particularly cherish, they are harbingers of green grass, sprouting crocuses, and all the energy, hope, and freshness that is spring. 

"To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind

 than to be hopelessly in love with spring." 

~George Santayana (1863-1952)

We are seeing beauty all around...especially in the muddy puddles. 
And...we are making preparations indoors for spring's much anticipated arrival...

      Lemons, jelly beans, fresh flowers, and pastel loveliness....

If there comes a little thaw,
Still the air is chill and raw,
Here and there a patch of snow,
Dirtier than the ground below,
Dribbles down a marshy flood;
Ankle-deep you stick in mud In the meadows while you sing,
"This is Spring."

      ~Christopher Pearce Cranch, A Spring Growl


Here's to enjoying the "not quite spring" things.

Slam Dunk

This weekend, in a rare moment of spontaneity, I hitched a ride (well, with someone I know) over to Spokane/Loon Lake to visit with my sister's family, and babysit Jake and Jenna with mom and John. 

Saturday morning...cheering on Jake at his last basketball game of the season (and the first one of his games I'd ever seen).  He's #10 by the way:

This picture above cracks me up.  You would think that the guys on the right were actually fans in the audience.  Number 1 is off to get a soda. 

After escaping the intensity of the court, Jake and Jenna insisted on a pick-up game with Nana and John.

   Now that's what I call a uniform.  The girl's got taste... and game.

She gets it from her Nana.

(No, they weren't playing "bump."  In typical mom "overachiever" style.. she prefers to play basketball with two balls!)

And, a few more photos from the post-game party...

A fun day.  And from looking at these photos as a neutral observer now, our family seems so cool and normal.  Funny how things can look from the outside! 

"Perception is strong and sight weak...It is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things."

~Miyamoto Musashi